Locke Down
by Resting-Madness
Summary: Poisoned in the woods, Locke falls into an ill sleep where he dreams of his youth with the Figaros.
1. Any Port in a Storm

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the creation of final fantasy VI or III if that's your pleasure. Not the characters, or the base plot of the existence. I also make no money from this work of fiction.

Prolog:

Locke is walking through the forest near Kohlingen, headed towards the cave that would take him to Edgar's castle. It'ss a nice out, the morning the sun was out but hidden by a wide sweep of clouds that covered and uncovered it as if it were a game of peek-a-boo.

The thief was humming a song that he'd heard playing on a record in a bar he stopped into once earlier that day, and he couldn't get it out of his head since._ 'Gods it's a beautiful day, I wonder if Edgar would wanna-...' _His thoughts were interrupted suddenly by a loud shriek.

"Heeelp meee!" It was a woman!

The voice didn't sound too far away from him as he ran through the mass forest to find the maker of the sounds along with the reason of it.

"Keep shouting!" Called out. "I'm coming!"

"Aaaaahhhh!"

When he got to a wide clearing there was a woman backing into a tree as a poisonous Mandrake advanced in on her.

"Don't worry Miss, I'll save you!" He called out to her, sliding a dirk out of his belt and rushing towards the creature.

He wasn't too surprised that someone would be getting attacked by one of them, because there had been a reporting of these specific creatures attacking anyone who walked into the forest- especially alone.

He jumped on the monster catching it by surprise; it moved around wildly trying to fling him off. "Run!" He told the woman and she panicked a second.

"What about you?" Asked the woman sliding sideways from off of the tree trunk.

"Just go!" The thief yelled; relieved when she took off.

"I'll be back, I promise!" She called over her shoulder, as she made her way from the forest.

He dug the dirk deep into the Mandrake's back. It growled in pain deep in it's throat as Locke pushed the sharp weapon farther in, it let out a roar of pain and slammed him against the tree trunk.

"AH!" He cried, dropping his weapon from pain running through him. He slid roughly down the tree taking bark with him on the way; picking up a lump, he tosses it at the creatures head- well what looked like its head.

The Mandrake didn't like that too much and snapped a vine in the thief's direction grabbing his legs pulling him into the air.

"Shit." He cursed the situation, pulling out another dirk and slicing himself free of it's grip before he lost feeling in his leg from having the life squeezed from it; but the creature wasn't about to give up that easily so it grabbed him with an extra vine as he was falling.

Turning him upright the Mandrake looked into Locke's face, while it tried to crush his throat. He bared his teeth through the pain, and the second the thief opened his mouth to yell for help the Mandrake slide a vine down his throat, draining purple liquid into his throat. Locke squirmed frantically trying to break free but his eyes began to roll up into his head.

"Locke!" He heard a familiar voice call him.

He turned his head the best he could and saw a buzz saw fly through the air slicing the creature in half, the dead limbs dropping him to the ground; shortly after, he heard the woman's voice again.

"Are you all right, sir?" She asked.

He couldn't answer, at the time he started to choke on the poison he'd just been slipped.

"Locke?" Edgar said. "Miss, go back that way, as fast as you can... and tell my men to bring the carriage around for Locke. Hurry!"

The woman rushed off; and Edgar didn't wait to make sure she was gone before he started talking to him, soothingly with his loving words. "Don't worry, my love, you'll be all right. I'll make sure of it." He said running his hands through the thief's bangs.

"Your Majesty?! Where are you?" He heard his guard call.

"Over here!" He shouted in return. "We'll get you medicine." He said to Locke who moaned in pain. The King brought him closer into his arms, and shushed him.

The guards came up behind them with a makeshift stretcher and they helped the king place Locke on to it.

"We'll take him back to my castle; and get a doctor with some antidote to cure the poison." The king instructed as they walked through the trees.

"Yes, your Majesty." Two of the men said.

"Is he going to be all right?" The woman asked Edgar, and he nodded to her.

"He'll get the best of care, milady. Thank you for telling me where he was."

She smiled shyly, with a nod.

"You had better get on home before anymore show up. Arthor.." He calls to one of his guards. "Please escort this young woman to her home, then return to the castle."

The man salutes; taking the woman's arm, he walks in the direction she points.

Locke made another moaning sound as he rolled over in pain._ 'Don't worry Locke, I'll make you better if it's the last thing I do.' _Edgar thought. "Lets hurry and get out of these woods, we need to get him under care as soon as possible if he's gonna get better any time soon."

"Yes sir!" His men responded picking up the pace.

0 0 0

Locke was running through the streets of Nikeah, trying to stay in stealth mode. He had to be quiet and be careful if he was going to get the treasure out of the cave ahead of him. He eyeballed a shop not too far ahead of him, and set his eyes on a fluffy loaf of bread, browned perfectly resting beside one equally as good looking. Licking his lips, he rubbed his tiny bare hands together.

"Alright, move out and take it to 'em." He said to himself rushing through a crowd of dresses, pants, and for some people bare legs.

When the boy got close enough to make his move, he reached a hand out and snatched the loaf of bread closest to him.

"Hey!?" The shop owner called out at him.

The young boy didn't bother to turn around, and he didn't plan to stop running until he was clear only the unexpected happened. "Oof!" He tripped over a man's foot that was sitting on a bench beside the path.

"Sorry kid." The man said but snidely.

"It's okay." He said, brushing himself off but was grabbed from behind.

"Now I've got you!" The shop owner bellowed.

Locke didn't look scared though, because he knew that the man would just snatch the bread back and go about his way.

"You think you're gonna get off easy this time, don't you?" He asked as if reading his mind; the boy looked up questionably. "Weelll not this time. You think I don't know it was you who'd stolen all those other missing items from my shop, don't you? Well jokes on you, kid... I've been watching you for ages waiting for the day I'd finally catch up with you. And now you're gonna pay by punishment..." he paused drawing out a small knife. "...of one hand being chopped off." He finished throwing his head back in laughter.

Locke's breath became ragged and his teeth even chattered a little, was this man really going to cut off his hand.

"Say goodbye to the wrong hand; ha, maybe if you keep the right one you'll know not to do it again."

"No." Locke said in a tiny voice watching the man raise the sharp blade over his head.

As the knife came down on him-... "What do you think you're doing?" A voice came from behind them.

"Y-y-your Majesty. I-I was just." The shop owner stammered out, looking as though he were about to get his own hand chopped off.

"You were just releasing that young boy, and letting him go about his day." A tall handsome man said answering his own question.

He had striking good looks, and noticeably blue eyes, with hair as long and blonde as a golden tail of a unicorn.

"Ri-right your Majesty; but the lad here was stealing bread, and I-..." He had to state his plea.

"Can easily replace it." The King finished for him.

The shop owner had no say in that, and just nodded before turning away.

"Are you all right?" Asked King Figaro.

Locke was in too much shock to answer.

The man smiled down at him and patted him on the head. "I have two boys about your age, perhaps a couple of years older." He was saying to himself, as though he hadn't seen them for a long time. "Enjoy your bread." He said hearing the Queen call to him. "I must go now, good day."

He bowed slightly to the boy; who stood there staring in amazement as he walked out of sight. _'The king...'_ He thought to himself. _'Saved me.'_ He looked down at the loaf of bread in his hand with a sudden stab of guilt. _'I know I'm not gonna like this.'_ The young boy thought to himself, going back in the direction of the little shop.

"You again!" The man said when he saw him return.

"I came to return this." Locke said holding the bread out to the man.

He scoffed when he saw the poor child's actions, but took the bread back placing it in the trash.

"What did you do that for?" Locke asked and the man sneered at him wiping his hands on his apron.

"Street-rat filth, get out of here." With that Locke turned away, but the man called him back a second. "And one more thing."

"What?" He asked turning around seeing the knife rear it's ugly head again. "Huh?" Locke held his hands up to shield his face, but he felt the point of the object slice through the skin of his palm. "Ah!" He cried out; the merchant just began to laugh himself into a coma watching Locke run for his life.

"That's what you get!" He said after him. "You fucking thief!"

Those words stuck with Locke, no matter how hard he'd tried to shake it off they hung there- it hung there...thief.

"I am not a thief." Locke said to himself, cradling his injured hand. "That guys gonna pay for that."

Meaning the insult of calling him something he's not. He returned the stinking bread and the man threw it out, what more did he want from him?

"Come along, dear, we've got to get ready for the party tonight." He heard a woman say. The boy raised his head and looked around for who could have said it.

"I hate parties, those suits are murder." A man replied. "Nonsense, come on." She replied dragging the man by the arm.

"Wow, it's the king and the queen." Locke said to himself. "Maybe life will be better where they come from?" He wondered out loud, kind of in question.

He waited for them to be out of sight, then snuck himself onto the vessel. Moving around to the back, he saw some cloth lying on a barrel and picked it up.

_'It isn't much of a bandage but I can wrap my hand in it for a the mean while.' _He thought and saw a pair of gloves beside it. "Wouldn't want people asking a bunch of questions." He said and took them too.

"A little big but... they're gonna have to do for now." He slid them on and crawled into a dark corner to hide. "Everything's gonna work out now." He rested his shoulder against the wall and closed his eyes ready for the long trip to- wherever they were going too.

0 0 0 0

"Be careful, okay?" Says Edgar to his men, who were laying the treasure hunter down on his soft king-sized bed. "Has the Matron come for him yet?" He asked looking into his lover's face.

"Not yet your Majesty. They will be arriving shortly." He replied.

"Good. Thank you. You may leave us now."

The guards saluted and strolled out of the room. When they were out of sight Edgar kissed Locke gently on his lips, before sighing.

"You really are a hero, aren't you?" He mostly stated to himself, caressing the hairs over his bandana. "Don't worry my love, you'll be back on your feet in no time. I give you the royal promise to that."

He climbed into the bed and snuggled himself against him, feeling the man's body shudder. He looked at him carefully and saw he was shuddering because of something he was dreaming.

"What are you thinking about in there?" He asked him and lay back down beside him.

8 8 8

The boy followed the king and queen off the vessel, but a few steps behind them. They walked through town mingling with the commoners- as Locke would call them- until they parted with the town and went on their ways.

They were met up with by two guards holding the reigns of two large Chocobo's. "Good evening majesties." One of the men said as they drew closer.

"Good evening, Bernard." The queen replied mounting her bird after the king.

"The trails are cleared we should have a smooth trip through the caves."

"Very good." The king said.

They tapped the birds gently on the side, and rode off into the setting sun. Locke watched them with worry on his face._ 'I'll never be able to catch them if they're on those birds, I'll get lost for sure.' _He thought quietly going back into town.

"Are you going to the palace tonight? They're having a wonderful party." He heard a woman saying as he walked back in.

"Huh?" He snuck beside a barrel and lay low so he could listen to them.

"I can't make it tonight, I'm afraid. I've got so much that needs to be done." Another woman voice replied.

"That's a shame, it's going to be delightful- and what a banquette!"

Locke couldn't help but lick his lips to that, he hadn't eaten in days and some food would have been a good idea right about then.

"What time are you leaving dear?" The second woman asked, the first one must have been thinking it over because it was quiet for a while.

"Maybe in the eighth hour tonight."

_'That's perfect it's almost eight now,'_ thought the young boy looking up at the setting sun._ 'I can hitch a ride with this woman if I wait long enough.'_

Time had passed by, and Locke waited in his hiding place along side the Chocobo stables until it were dark. He passed the time by thinking about what he was going to do once he got there, not only that... _how_ he was going to get in. The place would swarming with guards no doubt.

"Come along my dear, tonight we dance among the riches." The lady from earlier that evening said, walking from her small home in the town of where ever they were.

"I have to double-check, Muriel, just give me a minute." Her husband replied locking the door to their home and catching up to her at the stables.

They were going to take a coach that night and make a grand entrance- sure they had to save up for such a thing but, for this it was worth it because tonight was the night of the princes' birthdays, and the whole town was excited about it.

"We're off." The driver said once the couple loaded onto the carriage.

Locke took this as his opportunity to climb aboard and hitch a ride. He grabbed onto the under side of the carriage and held on as tight as he could, but his hand was killing him from the force he had to use.

_'Rrrr,'_ he strained. _'gotta feel through the pain.' _He coached himself.

The cart began to pick up speed as they went through the caves so they wouldn't have to be in there very long. The caves were like a musty detour that no one really liked, but it kept bandits at bay whenever they tried to tretch through them to get to Figaro castle, but for riders it's just a simple trip that would only take about an 30 minutes or so depending upon what mood the bird was in.

The cave was also well lit with torches' from where Figaro guards personally lined the way so the towns people could see with out much effort put in themselves.

Figaro was a loving place, that made everyone seem like they were equal to them- even though they are royalty. The town also played a big part in the weaponry that the castle used during wars in the olden days, the entire town was like one huge facility of weapons; and the king couldn't thank them for there help enough.

"Almost there my friends." The driver said to the couple.

Locke let out a sigh of 'Thank Gods.'

When he saw the grass again he couldn't be more happy, but the lush green grass quickly turned into a swelter of warm night sand.

_'They live in the desert?'_ The boy thought as he felt the vehicle slowing down. "Uh-oh."

He let himself fall from the bottom of the carriage, landing him on the sand hitting his back but not very hard. He heard the guards greet the guest that had just rode up and took this as his chance to find another way in while they were distracted.

He noticed that a lot of the guards seemed a little preoccupied at the moment, so he ran as fast as he could beside a huge extension of the castle- he wasn't sure what the thing was called, but it looked kinda like a tower to him. After a brief glance up to make sure no one was watching him, he opened a big wooden door and walked inside. He instantly heard voices and ducked into a shadow by the wall.

"The young princes will love this present I got them." A Matron said to someone; the addressed looked at it and smiled.

"I think they'll like this one very much." The other person who was a male replied. "Lets take it up to the dining room."

The two people walked past Locke and up some stairs which, probably, would take them inside the dining room; just the thought of it made Locke's stomach growl.

"Maybe just a little something and then I'll go, he's rich he won't miss it."

He followed behind the people and into the dining room, they dropped the gift off on a table in the corner of the room, then go into another room that- judging by the music- must have been the ball room. The young boy stepped out of the hiding place and his mouth dropped. "Wow!" He'd never seen so much food in one place before- not even the market places!

Locke didn't know where to start, he rushed over to the table and started stuffing his clothes with food. Shoving hunks of cheese into his pockets, along with fruit and bread. He grabbed a leg from the turkey and a few slices from the ham, and just as he went for something to have as dessert the doors opened up behind him.

He gasped and slid himself under the table hearing an amount of guest walking in.

"Please don't let them find me." He quietly chanted to himself.

Feet began to line the table, and he watched them all carefully. A pair of feet were smaller than the rest, and he figured some of the couples must have children.

"Great." He said mildly and put an ear to the conversation.

From the looks of it the ball room doors were left open, so the party must be starting now. He sighed and then realized that things wouldn't be so bad under a table and he began to eat a piece of apple that he swiped from the table.

"Edgar cut it out." A boy's voice came out of nowhere.

"I'm not doing anything." Another voice came that sounded a bit like the other child.

The little pair of feet began to move around the table and around the room. Locke watched them in amusement as they hurried around the room.

"That's the last strawberry Sabin, you don't even like them."

The other boy said as he chased him. The crowd began to laugh at the sight of them.

"Be careful boys." The queen's voice came.

_'I hope they listen to her.'_ Locke thought absently. _'I'll bet her children never misbehave.'_

"Come on Sabin, please?" The other boy was silent as though he were thinking it over, then he said to his impatient friend.

"Alright, here you go." He said holding it out to him walking forward but,

"Whoa." The kid fell forwards tripping on his feet knocking the other boy down along with the desired strawberry that rolled under the table near Locke's hand. "Now look what you've done." The second boy said.

"I'm sorry, I tripped. I really was going to give it to you." The other one apologized; the second boy waved a hand and said...

"It's okay. I'll clean it up."

He bent down and Locke froze. "Shoot."

He turned himself around under the table, and tried to crawl away but the other boy had seen him anyway.

"Hello." Came a cheerful voice. "Who are you?"

The jig was up; and Locke had to confess or he'd be in trouble for sure. When he turned around his eyes had to blink hard seeing the sight that he was looking at.

The boy was beautiful, he had long golden hair like the kings and an adorable clean cut face, that looked as if it'd be young forever; and he was dressed in the finest looking outfit Locke himself had never even seen before.

His eyes were like turquoise diamonds that he could stare at forever, but he soon blinked it away and shook his head. _'I shouldn't be thinking like that, he's a boy.'_ Locke said to himself mentally.

"I am, Prince Edgar, Roni, Figaro. What's your name?" Edgar asked and Locke looked at him oddly a second.

_'This kid must be deep in the grammar department.'_ He thought and Edgar laughed a little. "What's so funny?" Locke asked and Edgar pointed to his clothing.

"You have a mess on your shirt. Come, the maid will help clean that off." He took the other's hand and began to crawl to the front of the table, back the way he had come.

"Hey Ed', what are you doing down here?" Sabin asked, then looked past his brother seeing the strange young boy. "Hey cool, another kid. What's your name?"

"Locke." The boy replied.

Looking at the other kid that looking remarkably like the one holding his hand, only his face seemed surprisingly older although he sounded like the younger of the two and his hair wasn't nearly as long as Edgar's but, it was styled in the same fashion; his clothes were the same only the other boy's were done in reds instead of purples.

"That's amazing, I barely got a word out of him." Edgar said.

"That's cause you don't have a knack for people like me- well, at least people our age." He looked back at Locke. "How old are you, Locke?" He asked.

"Nine." He replied feeling a little static between his and Edgar's hands even through the glove, he shifted his own a little seeing if it would stop but it felt more like an inner thing that he couldn't control. People don't normally touch him unless its for scoldings.

_'What's going on?'_ He thought but was interrupted by Sabins voice.

"Cool, you're a year under us, I'm Sabin by the way." He held out a hand for him to shake and the younger boy took it.

"Hi." Locke said.

"We're going to clean him up, his shirt got a little mess on it." Edgar said, meaning for his brother to unblock their exit.

"Alright, alright. We'll play when you get back, okay Locke?" He said, backing out from under the table not waiting for his answer.

"Um, sure." Locke replied to the escaping boy.

"Sabin's always been a little unmannered. Come along, Locke." The Prince requested, but Locke pulled him back a second.

"Wait. Here you go," He said pulling a strawberry from his front pocket. "It wasn't the last one." He said lamely.

Edgar smiled taking it. "Thank you, Locke." He replied and slid them from under the table.


	2. Words with deeper meaning

Locke began to stir on the bed; Edgar lifts his head to watch him and make sure he wasn't slipping deeper into the poisoning. "Locke... Hang in there my love-..."

The king heard a knock at the door and he slid off the bed to answer it, knowing whom it would be.

"I'm glad you're here. Come in." He gestured to the man standing outside of the door.

The gentleman was dressed in a long black coat and had a stethoscope around his neck along with a black carrier bag. He rushed over to the bed and put his hand to Locke's mouth, to check his breathing.

"You called me just in time." He comments, then listened to his heart. "How long has the patient been out?" He asked Edgar, who thought for a moment about the answer.

"I believe it was an hour ago, will he be all right?"

"Yes, he will. You have nothing to worry about; your friend has a strong immune system; looks as though the plague itself couldn't take him down. He should bare well to a poisoning." The man said placing a tube slightly down Locke's throat, pouring a liquid into it.

"Let's hope he swallows it." Edgar watched patiently as the green liquid slid down his lover's throat.

The thief started to gag a little, so Edgar elovated his head to make sure it all went down.

"There." The doctor was done when positive all of it were down. "Give him another hour and he should come around, but take this..." he handed the king a bottle and a spoon. "When he does wake up give him some of this after every two hours today, just one spoon full and he should be back to his old self by the end of the bottle."

"Thank you, doctor." The king replied taking the bottle and nodding to him. "I have a matron, you don't have to worry about me missing any doses."

"Good to know. Keep me updated incase he needs something else." The doctor ordered.

"I will."

And with that the man waved good day and walked out.

"Hear that Locke, you're going to be all right." He leaned down and kissed him on the lips tasting a bit of the medicine he had on them.

Locke moaned lightly in response, but not to the kiss he was still deep in his dream world.

8 8 8

The young prince led the little thief towards the kitchen to get cleaned up. Not many of the guest had seen them go by, but the king and queen had.

"I didn't notice a child walk in with the guest." She said to her husband and he shook his head in amusement.

"That's the boy from Nikeah that I told you about. He was eh..." he searched for the word. "borrowing a loaf of bread from Omar- whom by the way had plans to cut off the lad's hand-..."

"Oh my." She said hearing that.

"It's all right, I stopped him. But the boy must have followed us here when we left."

"Does that mean that-...?" She caught her words and frowned. "How terribly sad, we-..."

"Hi mom." Sabin said brightly coming up to his parents. "Can we open presents now?" He asked.

"Sabin, what do we say?" His mother instructed.

"May we open our presents, please?" The boy corrected himself.

She smiled a thank you to him for correcting himself, then looked in the direction her son Edgar had just gone.

"Wait until your brother returns."

"Aaaw man." He whined a little.

"Now, now. It won't be long...Sabin my dear, who is the child your brother is with right now? What is his name?" The queen asked; and he thought for a second.

"Oh, you must mean Locke? He's pretty nice. Can he stay for cake and dinner?"

Sabin asked her and his father; she nodded but added. "Dinner and cake, my love. You must eat your dinner before your dessert."

The boy just smiled up at her then turned around to talk with his Matron.

In the kitchen.

Edgar was staring at the stain being removed from Locke's shirt, but Locke was staring at the prince. He looked beautiful with his eyes cast downwards, but he brought them back up catching him by surprise and he quickly looked away. Edgar laughed adorably to that and shook his head to his reaction.

"It's okay, you're supposed to look into someone's eyes when you talk to them." He explained, and his eyes looked at Locke's clothing. Reached into Locke's bulged out pockets, he looks at what he pulled out asking. "Where'd you get all this food, the dinning room?"

Locke looked a little surprised, he swallowed hard before answering. "I uh..."

"That's okay, you can have a snack while we walk around, but it's much better to eat at a table. Come on, let's find Sabin and get in some play time before dinner."

He took Locke's hand again and he felt a little static himself. _'What was that?'_ He wondered but blinked it off.

"We'd better hurry." The prince said and led them back to the dinning room.

...

"Hey you guys." Sabin said when he saw them walk in.

"Hello Sabin." Edgar replied.

"Hi." Locke said to him in return.

"You guys ready to play?" The second prince asked.

"Yeah." Locke said cheerfully. _'I've never played with princes before.'_ He thought with a smile. _'It's nice to find people my age at all.'_

"We should play cricket." Edgar suggested when they planted themselves on chairs.

"Next." Sabin said rolling his eyes at Locke, who chuckled slightly.

"What about three kings in the lost desert."

Sabin shook his head to that one as well.

"How's about hide and seek?" Locke interrupted.

"Yeah, that's a great game!" Sabin agreed patting the new kid on the back.

"We'll hide first, Edgar... you count for us, okay?" He slid from off of his chair and grabbed Locke's hand.

_'That's weird, I don't get the same static from him like when Edgar holds my hand.'_ Locke thought as he was dragged away by the hyper-active twin brother.

"One! Two! Three! Four!" Edgar started.

"Where are we gonna hide?" Locke asked.

"I'm hiding in the guest rooms," Sabin replied dropping his hand to separate from him. "you hide some place further away, so that he won't see me sneak by if he finds you."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Locke chides; Sabin just laughed and waved as he darted around a corner.

"Where am I supposed to hide?" He asked himself.

Edgar was on the final say of counting now. "10! Ready or not here I come!"

Yelping, Locke darts away to anywhere.

...

"He'll never find me in here." The thief said to himself, slipping into what looked to be one of the young prince's rooms.

"I'm gonna find youuuu." He heard Edgar say very close by.

"Oh no." He panicked and looked frantically around the room; there is a wall to the far end of the room with a dark shadow. "I could hide there, whoever looks right out in the open?" He slipped quietly over to the corner and sat down in the darkness.

"Is someone in here?" Edgar called into the room and looked around.

He walked in after a second of glancing around with his eyes and thought to himself, if he were gonna hide in their bedroom where would he go? Locke saw him getting closer and he tried to scrunch himself further against the wall and it slid back on him.

"Huh? Whoa!" He fell backwards and tumbled a bit down a slightly twisted stairwell.

"What was that?" Edgar asked going over to the secret wall that was in his room.

He walked down the stairs, down to a wooden door and through it to see, "Locke?" He stepped into the room and over to where the boy is standing. "What are you doing down here?"

The thief gasped and turned around to face him. "N-nothing. I fell in. What is this place?" He asked changing subjects.

"This is my secret room." Edgar replied walking over to the chaise, sitting down upon it.

"It's cool." Locke responded sitting next to him. "Why would you need a secret room? Is it for surprise attacks and stuff?" The boy asked in all curiosity, this place was just like everything he'd ever heard of about castles and he wanted to know a little more.

"Well, I didn't really know it was here myself. I think I found it the same way you did." The young prince answered.

"Does Sabin know?" Locke asked and Edgar shook his head.

"I don't know, I think this is something that I'd like to keep for myself. Being twins isn't always fun, and sometimes you just wanna get away from it all." He answered standing back up from the chair.

"I thought you two looked alike, I've never seen real twins before."

Edgar smiled to him then took his attention away from him as he heard a bell be sounded. "Dinner time." He told the boy, who nodded.

They walked side by side to the door way; Edgar stopped half way through it turning his head to face him. "You know, you're the only other person who knows about this room.. Can you keep it a secret? If you do you can use it anytime you want." He almost bargained with him.

"I won't tell, I promise." Locke replied happily.

They shook on it, and just as he was about to drop Edgar's hand the young prince wouldn't let it fall.

"By the way," he was saying. "I found you...you're it."


	3. Of Cherry Wine and Sweet Affection

Locke began to stir beside the king and he scrunched his eyes tightly as if he were trying to open them and they were resisting it.

Edgar shifts beside him, and opened his eyes from the brief sleep he's had himself. The king looked at his love and sighed a light smile to his lips, and leaned up on an elbow and down to kiss gently on his eye lids then he lied back down and wrapped his arms around him more firmly, but not too tight.

"Looks as though your medicine is working, I hope to see you shortly." He said nuzzling at the side of his face with the front of his own. "Until then, you rest as long as you like."

0 0 0

Locke walked a few steps ahead of the young prince Edgar who seemed to be a bit puzzled by what they were going to be doing out in a field that had literally nothing.

"Locke, what are we doing out here?" The youthful teenaged prince asked the almost teen in front of him.

The three of them- Edgar, Sabin, and Locke practically grew up together. They had spent many nights talking to one another in the other person's chosen room, or playing together in the castle, though some days when the boys would be getting training in becoming king someday, Locke would be outside having what he concidered to be sizable adventures.

Within the past five years he had become faster, stronger, and a bit sharp tempered to any one who may call him by his least favorite nickname- thief. As they had grown up Edgar and Sabin had become even more of a pair of twins, meaning they both loved each other very much as brothers but they also had different personalities to match their opposing suits.

Edgar for instance liked going to the opera where Sabin would rather fall off the nearest bridge than hear another high note; and Sabin who liked hiking and sports, he had also taken a shining to the martial arts that was floating around the lands, from a man named Duncan who lived in the mountain of Mt. Kolts where the young prince had found him on his usual climb up there; unlike Edgar who was specializing in mechanics and weaponary.

Locke loved both their personalities and liked hanging out with them together, or individually, even though choosing what to do next had become a bit tiring. The two princes would argue which idea were best and he would just sit back and laugh. Sometimes they still pulled that talk together thing on him which he loved about them even more...a part of him wanted something like that himself, but he had never known any family except for-...

"Hey Locke, watch this." Edgar asks of him as they walked out to the field where the soldiers trained for battle.

Edgar had promised Locke a day of training for himself incase anything happened, meaning since Locke had become more independant and came and went as he pleased, he'd also taken a habit of sleeping outside right out in the open- something he wanted Edgar to try but, he never got around to asking him.

He aimed an arrow at a target a few yards away and focused in on the very center. Locke was watching the target at first but Edgar's voice broke his concentration.

"Locke, watch my hand positioning." The thief turned his attention to Edgar's arms. "See nothing but the target and then..."

His vision tightened a bit more and Locke watched him, in all the beauty that he had gradually been seeing since he'd first met the two as boys.

"...Fire."

The prince let the arrow go and Locke snapped his attention away from him hearing the sharp whizzing sound of the arrow as though it were cutting through the air itself, and just as Edgar knew it would, the point of the arrow pierced the black and white targets center circle.

"And it'll hit the center every time." He said as though he were finishing a sentence started a while ago.

"What a distance." Locke said to himself.

"Ready to try it out?" the prince asked and Locke nodded taking the weapon from him.

"Hold it like this?" He asked bringing his arms up like he thought Edgar had exampled.

"A little higher," he replied positioning his arm a little higher. "there you are...Remember look at the center and the circles around it will begin to fade so nothing is there but that big black dot."

He aimed the shot and tried to look past the rings on the outside of the circle, but when he let it go. "I think I need to be a little closer." Locke chuckled, looking at the arrow sticking out of a tree further past the target. "I've got good distance though." He complimented himself with a shrug.

Edgar smiled closing his eyes looking downward. "Here, let me help you." He suggested, standing behind Locke, he rests his hand on the male's wrists. "Right there." He continued holding on to them, then he helps Locke into the proper posture. "Make sure you keep your shoulders at this height, okay?"

Locke nodded closing his eyes thinking about the target but his mind was racing oddly about Edgar. He'd known that he was someone special, and he knew that he liked Edgar desperately as a friend but these feelings he was getting lately felt like something else completely.

His nose twitched a little with the close proximity; he's always like Edgar's scent when they were kids, he thought the twins smelled like soap and sandalwood, but even with wrestling and kidding around he's never felt the closeness as he does now. Even when he'd stumbled upon the prince's secret room, he didn't feel alone with him like he does now.

He took a deep breath through his nose and a bit past his mouth through parted lips, and he shuddered a bit; Edgar smelled like wine, rose wine but the scent tasted a little different- like the slightly sourish sweet taste of a cherry.

"And then you gently let it go." Edgar said, brushing a finger across Locke's knuckles making him release the arrow.

It cut through the air again snapping Edgar's arrow inhalf; the adventurer couldn't help but grin. "Well look at that, two shots and I'm already better than you."

Edgar laughed a silent ha ha ha at him then lightly out loud. "Come on, it's about five, and we should be getting back to Figaro." Edgar sized up the distance away with his vision.

"Come on Ed', let's explore some more- I haven't seen all of the town of Figaro yet." Locke replied kinda broken up that they had to go so soon.

"You mean to the south? I suppose we could go there, we can take a couple of birds."

He started walking towards the equipment tower to put away the bow stick and arrows. Locke ran down to the target and pulled the two of them out running back over to him to catch up.

"Thank you." Edgar said holding a hand out to him as he approached with the abandoned arrows.

"Here you go, Ed'." Locke handed them to the prince and he scrunched his face a little. "What?" The thief asked and Edgar shook his head.

"It's nothing. We better get to the stables." He replied.

"No, come on tell me." Locke pleaded wondering what he'd said to cause him to make that face.

"It's Ed'." He said simply and Locke looked a little lost.

"Ed'?"

"I always thought it kind of sounded like something you'd call a Chocobo or a dog, don't you?"

Locke looked a bit taken aback by that then shook his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it bothered you." He said and Edgar waved a hand.

"Don't be sorry, it's really not that big of a deal. Ha, a child grown up, I guess." He said.

"That's alright with me though, not calling you Ed', sometimes it comes out by force... it beats what I really wanna call you for short."

Edgar laughed a bit hearing that then turned to him with a smile. "What's that?"

Locke hesistated then walked a few steps ahead of him answering. "I don't know, sometimes I just mentally call to you, and I always hear myself saying Prince...just prince."

He shrugged nonchalantly, though trying to walk a bit faster but Edgar caught up to him easily and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I like the way that sounds, especially from you...you may call me prince all you want." He said and walked to the stables opening the doors, disappearing inside.

Locke couldn't help but feel a smile shadow his lips, but he took it away when the young prince returned.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah." He replied and took the reigns of his bird watching Edgar mount his; he sighed remembering the smell and taste of him right then. _'Beautiful...'_ He said to himself climbing on his own.


	4. Come Near Me

Locke and Edgar walked side by side through town looking at all the sight filled features South Figaro has to offer.

"This place is cool up close." Locke said looking into the weaponry shop window.

"Come, we'll get you something." Edgar said holding the door opened for his friend.

"We're going inside?" Locke asked going over to the door.

"Of course we are. Come in; these are some of the nicest people in the world."

They walked into the shop and the owner smiled over at them. "Hello boys, Prince eehhh...?" He thought for a moment.

"Edgar, sir." He helped him out and the man laughed to himself.

Looking cautiously at the three beefy guards, he chanced tousling the child's hair. "I know who you are, I just like messing with you. What can I do for you boys?" He then asked looking at Locke first.

The thief suddenly felt embarrassed by the fact that he was asked that question and he'd have to turn him down because he had no money.

"We're looking for swords, daggers, rapiers something we can fight with." Edgar answered to him pulling the ribbons out of his long hair and replacing them after fixing it back to it's normal, groomed manner.

Locke watched him for a second doing that then turned away before anyone could notice.

"Well let's see what we have here for you, come on to the display windows."

The two boys followed the man to the back of the room over to the weapons display case and Locke's eyes nearly fell from his head. "Wow, those are the most expensive looking things I've ever seen."

"Yep, and top quality too." The owner replied taking highly to the compliment.

"I will take that one." Edgar said pointing at a spear.

"You sure prince Edgar? That's a hard one to work with at your age, it's pretty heavy." The man replied, but opened the case with the key and took it out handing it to him.

"I'm sure. I've always wanted to work with one of them." He replied back. "Choose a weapon Locke." Edgar then said to him.

"Really?" He looked down at the glass and skimmed the knives and spears and dirks. "Hmm." He still couldn't decide on one then he looked over at a particular dirk that held his eye since he walked over there. "That one."

The thief pointed and the shop owner gladly handed it to him. The boy held the weapon in his hands and smiled at it, but it faded into a frown and he started to say he couldn't take it but Edgar placed the money for them on the counter and bowed to the owner politely.

"Thank you, good bye." He took Locke's hand and walked them out of the shop. "We better get home now." Edgar was saying heading to the town's entrance to leave.

Locke was looking down at the object in his hand and something felt wrong about it. "Edgar, I can't take this." He said quietly catching up to him slowly so the prince slowed down for him.

"Why can't you?" He asked with concern.

Locke shook his head holding it out to him. "Because you've already done so much nice stuff for me, I can't keep tabs on how many 'I owe yous' forever; I'd never keep money." He blurted out not really wanting it to sound as harsh as he thought it had.

"You don't owe me a thing, no money back or anything of that nature. I want you to have this and everything Figaro gives you." Edgar suddenly pulled his lips in as though he had just licked them and they didn't come back out from it. "I didn't mean to make that sound as bad as it did. I'm sorry, Locke." He said hoping he hadn't hurt his friends feelings.

He knew Locke had lived on the streets before he moved into Figaro per say, and having that said to you would make you sound like a charity case, and he really wasn't they all loved him and wanted him to stay there if he liked; they couldn't stress that enough he was free to leave, if he liked.

"Edgar...let's just forget about it okay. I would just much rather you didn't buy things for me all the time, I'd like to do stuff for myself sometimes." The boy said. "I think I'm old enough by now." He also added for proof. "If you think fourteen is old enough," he laughed to himself but cast his eyes downward still feeling a little badly for what he'd said.

"Does this mean we're still friends?" He then asked.

"Of course we are Prince. You're not loosing me over one little dirk... Now if you'd of bought me a dagger I'd never speak to you again." The mock sincerity was clear, he'd even crossed his arms and turned his nose up.

"Never?" Edgar asked in all seriousness.

Locke huffed out a laugh to the sound of his friend's worried voice and placed an arm heavily around his shoulders. "You really are a prince, aren't you?" He teased, walking them out of the town together. "Come on, let's go beat each others brains out with these."

...

He took off running towards the mountain area with Edgar following, taking the challenge of the game. The two of them had played all the rest of the day; night was creeping around the corner on them and they both stopped their dual, resting against a tree out in the middle of the field from exhaustion.

"Are we dead yet?" Edgar asked through a laugh.

"Nah, we were brave and fought well sooo we won." Locke replied dropping to his butt on the ground. "So what do war heros do afterwards?" The thief asked.

Edgar wracked his brains to try to remember childhood, when his father went to war for the first time. "I believe we celebrate now." He replied but Locke looked at him as though nothing in the world would move him from that spot right then. "We could just sleep. Come on, we'll go back to Figaro." Edgar suggested getting up.

The sun had already disappeared and he hadn't intended for them to be outside that long.

"Lay down like me." Locke said to that; laying straight out on his back bending a knee for comfort. "We'll sleep outside just like a campout."

Edgar looked skeptical. "Right there, on the ground?" He asked and Locke nodded to him holding up a hand for him to take. "...If you say its alright, then it must be okay." Edgar replied taking his hand and sitting on the ground.

He made sure he lay his pony tail over his shoulder and down his chest so it wouldn't get grass in it and he lay back placing his arms behind his head to avoid the grass on the back of it as well. Locke smiled watching him do this, he then closed his eyes feeling the boy lying next to him.

"Locke, may I ask you something?" Edgar said once they got situated in the same lying fashion, on their back with one knee bent upward, and an arm or arms behind their head.

"Sure." He replied to him.

"Why are you always wearing those gloves? Did your mother or father give them to you?" He asked trying not to be nosy.

"Nope." Locke said shaking his head. "I got these off a boat before I came here- to Figaro."

"Why do you wear them all the time, if you don't mind my asking. Is it that you like brown?" He turned his head to the young thief meeting eyes with him again like when they were kids.

Locke glanced away but back again not wanting to look away this time. "I wear them because..." his words trailed off because he wasn't sure how he'd react, would he call him a thief too? No, Edgar would never do that. He sucked in a breath and let it slide out as easily as he could think of so he wouldn't sound guilty. "I wear them because I have a scar on my hand and I wanna cover it up." He squeezed out.

It felt like a relief to get that off his chest; the cut the man had placed on his palm never healed from poor bandaging and Locke didn't want everyone to see it and feel even more sorry for him then they probably already did, not to mention it forever branded his sticky hands as those of a thief. Locke wasn't a baby and he didn't wanna be treated like one. He also never stole what wasn't needed. He had lived on the streets since forever and he wasn't about to let this lifestyle or whatever he could call it change him from who he was inside, regardless the free ride offered to him; he never did anything that didn't repay the favor to them for all they've given him.

"How did your palm get cut?" He heard Edgar ask and he blinked back into the conversation.

"The shop owner in Nikeah, when I was little, that day I was at the castle is when it happened. I needed something to eat so I borrowed some bread, the guy saw me and freaked out then- slash, right when I returned that stupid loaf of bread. The King was amazing, he saved me from him in the first place. ...But I would have been fine if I hadn't gone back." Locke had heat in his words as though if he were sent back to that time he may have tried to hurt the man back the way he had hurt him. "Then the guy called me a thief, ha. If I'm a thief, what does that make him royalty? I've seen that guy take things all the time, and he calls me a thief."

Edgar frowned to the sound of that, those shop owners could be real jerks sometimes and he didn't like the way they treated other people, maybe he could do something about it...someday. "May I see it?" He asked.

Locke looked a little surprised by that but nodded and knelt up on his elbow to slide his glove off of his hand. He had long since removed the bandage once it had healed and now it was just a long gash diagonal in his hand.

"Ouch." Edgar said as though he were brought right to that moment seeing it, then he did something that took Locke by complete shock. The prince leaned forward and kissed his palm gently and softly as though he were made of the silk roses he smells like. "A kiss always makes my pain feel better." He said backing away from his hand and lying back down against the grass still holding Locke's hand gently in his own.

It'd been a while since any other human skin had touched Locke's own, and it felt nice really nice coming from Edgar. Without knowing what he were doing himself he rolled up on his elbow and leaned down kissing Edgar on the lips.

Edgar looked a bit shocked, and his eyes glanced open a second but they closed again as he let the feel of Locke's lips wash over him for a moment; they felt and taste like a bit of sricky honey mixed with an ounce of roughness that made it all the better in taste and texture; to Locke, Edgar taste like cherry, sweet and mild; and when Locke opened his mouth the scent that used to fill his nose is now filling mouth as he sucks in a breath of lost air. Locke leaned over to heighten the kiss but a voice in the distance and broke them apart.

"Locke! Edgar is that you?!" The voice called.

It was Sabin. He's heading towards them from what looked like not too far away, waving and smiling the whole time. "Fancy seeing you two here." He said when he was closer and watched them stand up. "You two planning on training too? Don't tell me you're napping already?" He threw back his head and laughed.

"What do you mean, training?" Edgar asked trying not to be obvious about catching his breath. "Duncan, he lives in a cabin out there." He pointed back in the direction he'd just come from. "You guys wanna train right, I mean that's why you're out here with weapons." He noted looking at the two objects lying on the ground.

"No we just bought some weapons, we were going back to the castle but we stopped to play first." Locke said saving them.

"Oh. Give me a lift? I don't have a bird with me." He climbed onto Edgar's and kicked it's sides lightly calling over his shoulder. "See you when you get back!" And he was out of sight.

They both looked back at the one bird against the tree and laughed nervously. "Looks as though we're riding together." Edgar said.

"Well I could walk, it's no big deal."

Edgar shook his head taking Locke's hand in his walking over to the bird with him.

"I can't let you walk." He dropped his hand as though he really didn't want to, but he needed both to mount the Chocobo. "Come on, maybe we can catch up to Sabin and beat him home."

"Right." Locke smiled and climbed up as well wrapping his arms around Edgar's waist.

"Hold on tight, okay?" He said to him and Locke held on to him as though it were saying forever.


	5. Play Misty For Me

Locke rolled to the left banging into the wall next to it. "Ooow." He responded and rubbed his eyes yawning a bit.

Edgar was next to him asleep, and he smiled at him.

"That would explain why I love you so much, huh?" He said to him refering to his staying beside him when he's sick and the kissing his injuries in his dream. He tried to get out of bed but had a little trouble. "Rrr..." he grunted as his foot shakily hit the floor.

All the movement on the bed opened the king's eyes and he saw Locke's back to him trying to get off the bed. "Need some help?" The king asked leaning up on one arm.

"Hey Prince, I thought you'd be out for a while now." He leaned over and kissed him warmly on the lips then backed away.

"Where are you going to?" Asked the spoken to.

Locke tilted his head in that direction. "Bathroom."

Edgar laughed to that getting himself up first, and standing before the other man he holds out a hand.

"It's okay, I can do it." Locke replied to the offer.

"Oh, I know." Edgar was saying still waiting for his lover to take his hand. "But, I want to help you anyway."

The thief thought it over and took his hand; he's helped him so far, why not let himself be taken care of, he actaually liked it. "Lead the way."

...

"Careful now." Instructs the king when leading Locke back into the bed.

And the thief was stumbling on the way in. "Man, is walking for you always this hard?" He joked; Edgar gave him a mock angry glance before picking Locke up into a carrying position.

"I walk better when I don't have a sickness drunk treasure hunter at my side." He replied to the joke and kissed his cheek. "Which reminds me, you're sick. The doctor brought some medicine for you and you have to take a spoonful."

Locke frowned at the sound of that, he hated the way the medicine tastes, and he'd rather live with the poisoning than take even a tear drop of that. "So, he cured my poison?"

Edgar nods to him; exacting the amount to give him from the bottle.

The thief swallowed hard at the sight of it. "So if I'm cured then I don't need the medicine, right?" He then asked him.

"It's not that bad, Locke." Looking over at him, he extends the spoon towards the patient's mouth. "Open." He instructed him but, Locke shook his head. "Please?" Edgar begged but Locke responded to that by pulling his lips into his mouth. "Well then, I'll just have to give it to you the fun way, won't I?"

The thief raised a brow to that; feeling Edgar sit down on the bed he was ready to fight him tooth and nail until he watched as his lover stick the spoon into his own mouth, and gesture to him with a face that this was better then just taking it from the spoon and Locke had to agree with that. He placed his hands on Edgar's face and kissed him, opening his mouth he tilts back as Edgar leans over him.

When Edgar opened his mouth the liquid slid out of it and into Locke's, the potion slipped easily down his throat. "Mmm." He responded kissing deeper into his mouth and moving his tongue in for more of the medicine; I mean, he is supposed to take it after all.

_'So light headed.'_ Locke thought feeling sleep take over him.

Edgar continued to kiss him, coiling his tongue around the thief's and sliding it back in making friction that felt like a chainsaw being started up. A moan came from his mouth as he urged the thief on.

_'Sorry Edgar.'_ Locke thought as his eyes heavied themselves and he fell asleep.

9 9 9

The youthful boy's are sitting at the dining table for a snack of cheese and fruit juice. Sabin is telling the two of them a life long story about what he was going to do in the day, and they gave him full attention- mostly to try to take it away from themselves- neither of the teen's had ever felt anything like that before and it was kind of scary to think about it happening again, though they knew for sure that they liked each other.

"So this kid right, his name is Vargas and he's Duncan's son, he's a total jerk! How can someone have such a nice dad and turn out to be a jerk?" He asked them; neither one had the answer to that question. "Any how, we're gonna learn new blitzes tomorrow afternoon when I can go there." The twin prince grabbed another cracker and some swiss, placing a spread on the top of it then shoved the whole thing in his mouth.

Locke's legs scrunched at the thighs and he cleared his throat. "Edgar's been teaching me archory, I'm getting pretty good at it too."

"Oh yeah?" Sabin said looking at his brother for confirmation.

"It's true." Edgar replied.

Locke smiled at the very sound of his voice but tried to keep it down. "I'm good at sword fighting too." He added.

"Well you've got a good resume; wanna fight sometime?" Sabin half pleads.

Locke looked at him as though he were already watching himself get massacred by the other boy who was a year older than him, and pounds bigger! He swallowed hard his nerves.

"Maybe someday." He replied; Sabin leaned his head back throwing out his usual laugh.

"Maybe someday. You're startin' to sound like Ed' over here." The prince said slipping out of his seat running to the door saying over his shoulder. "Come on, we'll get some swords from storage and fight in the backyard. I promise I won't butcher you."

As he opened the door he smacked into the queen, who's just coming into the room, and he backed away with a smile. "Hi mom. We were just on our ways out to sword fight," the other two boys walked away from the table and over to where the queen and Sabin were standing.

"It will have to wait I'm afraid. Edgar, Sabin, come with me a moment... your father and I need a word with you."

"Okay, mom." Sabin responded.

"Yes mother." Edgar said following them out the door.

"I'll be outside." Locke said as the door was closing before him. He sighed and walked back to the table grabbing a quick drink then walked away.

...

"Ha! Hi-yah!" Locke said swinging a sword around stabbing at the air.

He threw the sword behind him as though it were knocked from his hand.

"You think that'll stop me?" He said to the air, and pulled an arrow from the carrier on his back and then slid the bow from around his shoulders. He took an aim and fired. "In coming!" He called out seeing someone in the distance.

It didn't take that long a look to see that it was Edgar and he moved to the side just missing getting hit, yet he was still shocked a bit to see it coming towards him.

"I'm sorry, Edgar, are you hurt?" He asked when he reached him and the boy nodded sadly.

"May we talk, inside?" The prince asked him.

Nodding, with a concern look on his face he follows; what could they have talked about with the king and queen? Do they want him to leave? Was he too much of a pain or a handful to feed? He didn't know what would be worse at that moment; when they reached Edgar's room the prince closed the big solid cherry wood doors and turned to the thief with a sigh.

"Locke I-..." he began but Locke cut him off saying.

"Edgar, I'll leave if I have to but I won't stop seeing you...I like you too much for that."

Edgar looked a little confused then he smiled and joined him on the bed. "I like you too much to ever let my parents tell you to go." Edgar said to his conclusion.

"That's not it?" Locke asked with relief.

"No, it's much worse than that...we're having a party tonight, and you can't be there." He said looking at him in all seriousness.

"Ah haha, you're kidding me right? That's nothing compared to what I was thinking." Locke said pushing Edgar on the shoulder.

"You mean, you're not upset?" The prince asked him.

"Not at all! It's just one little party, there'll be other ones I can go to, I'm sure."

Edgar let out a sigh of relief and pushed him down on the bed. "You're so great, Locke." He kissed him on the lips and then backed away slowly.

They'd been close before, sure, and they'd given each other friendly kisses on the cheek over the years, but this was the first time they'd ever really kissed on the lips except last year when they were laying on the grass together, but Sabin had interupted it, doing it again would be a risk neither of them were ready to take.

"Promise me you'll stay away from the ball room tonight?" Edgar said as a question rather than a request.

"I will..." he said and added in a whisper to him. "But it's gonna be hard to stay away from you."

Edgar slid off the bed and pulled him up too, with the distance he walked while holding his hand. "It's gonna be hard to stay away from you too, but you're gonna have to... just hang out in my room until I get back okay?" The prince looked at him pleadingly, he couldn't let Locke come to that party and he also couldn't tell him why not because he would hate him for sure.

"I will, don't worry." Locke replied and Edgar placed his lips to his again. "I could really get used to this." He said backing away and closed the door behind him.

9 9 9

Locke hung out in Edgar's room, as he'd suggested, but he got bored easily being cooped up in one place for too long, he was a mover not a sit still and be good kinda person. "I won't go to the ball room," he was saying to himself. "I'll go outside and explore some more, who knows maybe I could find a cave with burried treasure in it." He walked to the doors and opened them stepping into the hall way.

He could hear the music from the distance, and as he walked in that direction to leave the castle he couldn't help but wanna see Edgar just for a second. He might be standing around bored wanting Locke to have looked in on him. "Ha, who am I kidding since... when has Edgar ever joked about something?" He said walking by the door, but his feet backed him up any way and he cracked the door.

"Ahaha, isn't it delightful?" He heard a female's voice. "What the-...?" He asked himself seeing that the whole room was full of girls, young girls around the boys' ages.

"What's going on?" He knelt down for a better unseen look of the room. Edgar wasn't in sight. He did though see Sabin showing off his muscle lifting a solid made chair over his head having four girls giggle to the sight of it.

"I'd be delighted to dance with you."

He heard Edgar's voice say and his heart began to pound in his ears. _'He wouldn't.'_ Locke thought to himself.

His eyes had shown different though, Edgar walked out to the floor and began to waltz with this...blonde bimbo. He was smiling at her and talking to her lowly; Locke had seen more than he could stand of that and ran off, catching his foot on one of the doors accidently and yanking it shut noisily as his foot was pulled free from the slight tag.

Everyone in the room heard the sound and turned to see what it was, although the dining room door was slightly opened they saw nothing wrong with that. It could have been a guard looking in on them or another helper bringing in food that they hadn't seen. But Edgar knew who it was, and he felt a sick lump build in his stomach and throat.

Locke ran downstairs and out the front doors, wanting to cry, but unable. The guard looked down at him and reached out a hand for comfort but Locke pulled away, and ran around the side of the castle.

"Stupid party, stupid girl...stupid Edgar for lying to me." He sucked in his breath trying not to cry, but he felt it coming and to avoid having anyone else see he slipped into the outside entrance to their secret room.

The thief walked over to the bed and slammed himself down onto it crying silently. His hands were pinned at his sides as he let the tears fall to his legs. "Why did he do this to me, why did he make me...I can't even say it out loud anymore!" He shouted into the air and ran a hand over his face.

"Poor Locke." He jumped startled and looked up.

"Who are you?" He asked a dark figure sitting in the corner of the room on a chair.

"I'm Nexsis." It replied lifting a hand that left a trail of smoke behind where it had been before.

"What are you doing down here? Nobody knows about this place but me and Edgar." Locke said trying not to sound terrified. No one had known about the room but he and Edgar, so how was it that this guy could find it?

"Oh Lockey boy, don't look so surprised I know about everything." The shadow said. "I even know what that Edgar has done to you up there, taking your heart and then ripping it to shreds with a girl of all things."

Locke looked down with a frown, he was upset sure but to be told about it from a stranger just made him mad. "What am I supposed to do about it? Edgar likes girls now, meaning he won't like me anymore."

The shadow floated over towards him with a simpathetic sound.

In the slight light, Locke could make out more of the thing and he shrank back away from it's grasp as it got closer. "What are you?" He asked it, when the black figure looking like a human smoke cloud came up beside him.

"Why... I'm you're friend, Locke." It answered with a smoke trailing hand brushing across the boy's face.

"...I don't know." Locke said moving over a bit but the dust was consuming him in the area as though it were holding onto him.

"Do you love him, Locke?" It asked and he nodded. "Say it." He ordered.

"I love him, I love Edgar." He replied as though he had no choice of the matter.

"Well, do you want to see him with some tart or yourself?" It then asked; Locke looked as though he were in a trance as he smiled and answered it.

"Me."

"And if he won't stay with you?" It asked waiting for the answer it wanted to hear.

"I'll kill him." Locke answered pleasing the creature beyond all belief.

"Then when he comes down here...Do it." It began to laugh as it faded away into nothing leaving Locke alone in the room.

"If he won't love me. If he can't accept a male lover... He won't love anyone else." The boy said tightening his grip on a dagger that was left in his hands.


	6. Dream or Reality?

"Locke are you down here?" Edgar called into the stairwell leading down into the secret room.

Locke didn't answer but he heard Edgar's foot steps walking down the stair way.

"Locke?" He said again; a lone sniffle, not wanting to be loud enough to be heard, caught his attention and he let out a sigh of relief. "Locke I-..." the prince started but the thief cut him off.

"Go away, go back to your precious party with all your stupid giggling girls. I don't need you anymore."

"Locke you don't mean that, do you?" Edgar asked sitting on the bed beside him.

Locke is seated on the bed with his back against the headboard, and his arms were behind his head but when Edgar sat down he dropped them to his waist touching the dagger under his upper leg, that he's sitting on to conceal it. Edgar sat in silence for a moment letting Locke get an answer, but he wasn't saying anything.

The prince's eyes lowered and stared at his lap; a tear fell to his hand but he tried choking them back. "Locke?"

The thief sniffled and turned his head to him. "Say it, you played with my heart and now the joke is over." He answered him.

"What?...Is that what you think this was all about? You've got it all wrong..." Edgar tried to take Locke's hands but he moved them away. "If I tell you the truth would you even believe me right now?" Asked Edgar rather hurt from what just happened.

Locke thought it over. _'What am I doing? Of course I wanna hear the truth.' _The thief thought turning to Edgar. "Go ahead." He permitted.

Edgar smiled at the shine of hope that he wasn't entirely angry at him.

"The party was for my family, Locke..." He looked at him to see if it were registering, and he went on. "Our father is..." he couldn't quite get the words out; though he and Sabin had always suspected something were wrong, they never wanted to believe it until today. "...He's dying Locke."

Edgar swallowed the words back down, but they kept coming out along with tears that were falling downward onto his hands. A hand came up to Edgar's face wiping a tear and held the prince's face on each side.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know..." the thief whispered wiping more tears from the other's face. "But then...what was the party for?" He couldn't help but ask.

"My parents don't want the line to end with me and Sabin for someone else to take over Figaro...They wanted us to meet nice girls, and maybe get a girlfriend that we could love more someday and have children so the name would live on but," he paused. "Sabin and me aren't into it though, we just did it to make them happy." He looked at the other boy right in the eyes. "Locke I could never love a girl-..."

"Well maybe none of them in the room-..." He cut him off, but Edgar put his mouth to his and kissed him.

When he backed away he whispered to him. "None at all. Locke, I'm in love with you."

Locke blinked hearing that, as if something had washed out of him right then. "You are?"

Edgar nodded and pressed their faces closer together answering. "I am."

Locke kissed him wanting more. Edgar pressed Locke down on the bed and lay on top of him, he could feel a strain forming in his pants as he pressed against the boy under him. Locke must have felt it too because he began moving his hips up and down against Edgar's hardening erection. A moan escaped his mouth and ran into Edgar's followed by his tongue which the prince's chased back into his mouth.

Locke's hands found their way through Edgar's hair and he untied the ribbons that held it in a ponytail letting it fall loose around his shoulders. He'd never seen Edgar's hair out before and couldn't help but steal a look at him. _'Gods you're beautiful.' _He thought.

"Locke?" He heard him saying.

"Yes." Locke answered sliding his tongue along the prince's jawline. "I want to..." he kissed him with a pause. "make love with you."

"Me too." He kissed him again.

"But I don't know how." The thief looked away feeling kind of ashamed.

"Don't be," Edgar replied to the expression. "we can teach each other."

Edgar placed his hands to Locke's hips and tugged at his pants; the thief raised himself upwards so they could be pulled down. Their members pushed together making a moan come from both of them, they land into each others mouths. Edgar's hand slipped down between Locke's legs and grabbed a hold of his hard-on giving it light squeezes that Locke bucked his hips into it.

His breath had become ragged, feeling every vein in his member tightening up. "Wait." Edgar whispered into his ear moving the Locke's vest aside and licking his nipple through his shirt. Locke helped him out by lifting his shirt up so that his prince could feel his skin. "Mmm." He moaned at the taste of him and rolled his tongue around the protruding skin.

Locke began to figit under him, panting harder and harder.

The thief removed the rest of his shirt from his chest; Edgar's hands left his shaft and placed themselves at Locke's sides. "No, don't." He strained out, but was met again in he cherry tasting kiss.

Locke's hands decided to explore for themselves and found their way down to Edgar's pants, where he slipped them between the skin and fabric grabbing a hold of his erection giving it a squeeze as well.

"Ahh." The prince sighed and grabbed back onto Locke's member.

They pressed akwardly against each other at first, but then making a pattern they grinded against one another rhythmically; never taking their lips apart until Locke moved his to Edgar's neck. He sucked on it hungrily as though he'd bite through it if he could, and Edgar breathed into the thief's neck yanking rather hard on his throbbing member.

"Take your shirt off." Locke whispered into his lover's skin then returned to his sucking.

Edgar moved away from the thief for a moment to slip his shirt up over his head, tossing it to the floor.

Locke looked up at him and nearly lost his breath seeing him sitting on top of him naked. "Gods you're beautiful." He breathed out.

Edgar grinned at him then lowered himself back down and kissed him. When he came back upright to a sitting position, he brought Locke up with him and sat him on his thighs and started thrusting upwards.

The thief wrapped his arms around the prince and groaned into his shoulder, biting down gently into it and Edgar began to do the same. The twos legs began to sweat as their body temperatures picked up; pre-cum trickled from Edgar's shaft and he let out a slight sound of pain, he could feel the same reaction in Locke as it rested against his stomach. The liquid slid down against his erection like fire, and Edgar hummed wanting to feel it again.

Keeping an arm around Locke's waist he moved a hand to the thief's length and squeezed it tightly; Locke picked up speed again to ride his hand, producing more fluid from it, as well as Edgar's own; he rests them against Locke's torso rubbing his palm over them vigorously; licking at the squirts that hit his chest.

Locke stood up on his knees over Edgar's lap and repositioned himself so that he has a better angle to move within his grasp. With Locke standing, Edgar was forced to stroke himself; and he continued to pepper kisses on Locke's chest.

"...Edgar..." He breathed out; but Edgar hadn't heard him, he was too entranced by the taste of the thief.

Locke's panting grew more ragged, and his thrusting became more violent into Edgar's fist as he felt the sensation of it in the prince's hand. When Edgar moved his hips up again, into his own hand, that was all it had took for him to come into contact with Locke's rear and slip between his cheeks and into his body. He yelped in pain causing Edgar to freeze his movements; he'd felt what happened and it didn't seem like it should have.

Panicked, he looks at Locke and asks. "Are you all right, did I hurt you?"

The other boy shook his head, but looked as though it had really hurt.

"Maybe we should stop, I don't wanna hurt you-..." Edgar suggested, but Locke shook his head kissing the prince on the lips again.

"I wanna keep going, it doesn't hurt that much." Edgar wasn't too sure about that but if Locke wanted to keep going then he did as well.

Figuring it wouldn't hurt as much, he lay Locke back down on his back and moved his hips a bit to comfort them in the position. Locke's legs were up on Edgar's back while the prince's knees were up at his lover's hips keeping them in place as he thrust inside him again. Locke let out another cry of pain so Edgar slowed his movements, down kissing Locke gently hoping it would ease the pain.

It seemed to be working because Locke was moaning in pleasure now and moving into Edgar more, as he thrust himself towards his body. Edgar panted into Locke's neck feeling sinfully satisfied tucked into Locke's body heat, and held tighter than his hand could become. Getting a pace, he's thrusting and jerking at a speed pleasing to both of them. It was too much- "Aaahhhh!" Locke softened in Edgar's grasp; the prince licked the liquid away before kissing the thief's mouth giving him a taste of himself as well.

The harder he kissed him the more Edgar thrust into Locke's opening and then he came, spilling himself inside of Locke whose body jumped at the suprise and warmth of it. Edgar let the moan drown out Locke's as he sank down onto him panting hard. Edgar rolled over on his back and slipping easily out of Locke so he wouldn't hurt him and he pulled him on top of his body. Edgar caressed his little lover's back and gave him a single kiss.

"This is how we'll be everytime after, our hearts on either side so we can keep the love complete," he kissed Locke again. "I don't want your back to me, just like I don't want mine to you...I always wanna see you the second I wake up, and I always wanna be around you- don't ever forget that. No girl can come between us."

Locke smiled to himself.

"But I am a prince, and some day I will take the throne and have to produce an heir."

"I know." He said a bit down.

"I'm in love with you."

Locke closed his eyes to the sound of that and smiled letting out a breath. "I'm glad to hear that, because I feel the same way about you... and about it. And I promise that nothing's gonna change, and no one is gonna come between us ever...I love you prince."

"I love you too, treasure hunter." He repeats, hugging him. "Ow."

"What was that from?" Locke asked and Edgar looked down.

"My leg just got a shot of pain." The prince looked down at it and saw a dab of blood there. "How did that happen?" He asked and Locke closed his eyes feeling tears come.

"I'm sorry." He said to him.

"About what?" Edgar asked wiping the tears that had fallen.

"For not trusting you, and then going into the dining room and...this." He said holding up a dagger that had a spot of blood on it.

"I'm surprised we didn't hit it sooner. What are you doing with that?" Edgar asked getting a little worried.

"I didn't stab you, or even poke you." Locke tried to explain. "It was in the bed with us, we must have leaned on it."

"How did it get here?" He continued to question.

"This guy was here...this thing anyway and it gave it to me. It was telling me all these things and I stupidly..."

9 9 9

Locke opened his eyes and looked around the room. He heard Edgar's voice in the hall way along with a woman's. _'What was that all about? That never happened, well we did make love but that part before...what was his name again? Who was it?'_ Locke thought scratching his head.

"Is he awake?" The woman's voice said.

"I believe so, just let me check." Edgar said opening the door and looking in. Locke smiled at him and he smiled back. "You have a visitor." He said turning his head away and nodding to the woman, Edgar stepped aside and let her walk by into the room.

"Hello." She said walking in. "I'm sorry to be so informal, I don't know your name." She explained.

"It's Locke, hi. You're the woman in the woods right?"

"Yes, my name's Lidia. Nice to meet you." She shook his hand; he smiled to her, and his eyes glanced behind her to Edgar who was approaching from behind. "I brought you soup from my home. It's chicken noodle."

"Thanks." He replied setting the bowl down beside himself on the bed.

"Well uh...I really must be going now, good bye." She said to him then turned and bowed at Edgar.

"Wait milady." The woman turned around and bowed again.

"Yes, my king?"

"I want to give you a reward, for saving Locke." He answered.

"What for, I don't understand... it was he who saved me."

Edgar shook his head, and took a pouch from beside his belts holding it out to her. "Take it...I insist." The woman looked at it but still couldn't. "Please...there are five thousand gold pieces in this pouch, which I feel isn't nearly enough for this man's life, but I wanted to give you something. So please?"

The woman took the pouch and bowed politely to him. "Thank you my king. This is very kind of you." She backed out of the room bowing still, until the guard walked her to the door and closed it behind him.

Edgar heard a sound from Locke and turned around. "How much am I worth?" He asked with a grin.

"About a pheasant missing a wing." Edgar replied grinning too and giving him a kiss.

"Prince, you won't believe the dreams I had; it was like a reflection of our younger lives." Locke began. "But something was off about it, something that wasn't there before."

"You must have dreamt it up then, dreams do tend to change reality a bit." The king said wrapping his arms around his lover's waist.

"I thought that too for a minute but then," he trailed off a minute. "there was this thing in our secret room. He said he knew about it, you, me, about us- everything."

"You're serious about this?" Edgar said looking at Locke's face.

"Edgar I think something got into my dream and changed it around." The thief stated seriously.

"How would that be possible?" The king asked but Locke shook his head.

"I don't know...it's probably nothing anyway." He said putting on a smile. "Let's replay the best part of my dream."

"And what might that be?" Edgar asked, but knew by the look on Locke's face and his movements that they were going to make love like the first time...like everytime.

But one thing still left question in Locke's mind...How did Edgar get a blood stain on his pants?

The End

...

Commentary: Thanks for reading, seriously. I wanna do FFVI justice and these, to me, aren't it. I did this when I was younger and thought, why not. Meanwhile, you wanna mental paste FFVI on some characters read The Regency Murders from Ashley Gardner Edgar as Lacey and Setzer as Grenville hoo haa what fun. Amazon has a free download of the first book. Go now!


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